The Quarrel
by katie1999
Summary: NW Zorro. After the alcalde attacked Victoria to capture Zorro, Zorro makes a decision. What is life without Victoria with no hope for the future? betaed.
1. Chapter 1

**The Quarrel**

_Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else._

Chapter 1

After a fight with the lancers Zorro had disarmed the alcalde and made him rescind the latest taxes, but after he had made some compliments to Victoria it had happened. The alcalde had sneaked behind Victoria and put a knife at her throat.

"Now Zorro, it is time to reveal your face," the alcalde sneered.

Helplessly Zorro looked in Victoria's face with her wide open eyes. The knife was very close to her skin and he didn't know what he could do. If he attacked the alcalde, he would kill or at least injure Victoria. Slowly he began to remove his hat desperately trying to find a solution. Just when he started to untie the mask behind his head, Victoria made her move. She pushed her elbow into the alcalde and tried to duck from his knife. But the grip was too tight and the knife slashed across her throat.

In horror he looked at the red blood that was running from her throat.

He knocked the alcalde senseless and caught Victoria in his arms before she fell to the ground."No, Victoria, please don't die. I can't bear to lose you," he pleaded, kneeling beside her in the sandy plaza. Relief flooded through him when he felt he pulse under his hand.

Don Alejandro approached him. "Is she alive?"

"Yes, but she needs a doctor."

"I'll make sure of that. You should better go before the alcalde regains consciousness and tries another trick. Then her sacrifice would have been in vain." Don Alejandro reminded him.

Carefully Zorro picked her up and carried her over to the tavern porch where he slowly lowered her to the floor. "I'll leave her in your care," he said gravely. On his whistle Toronado appeared who carried him quickly away. When he looked back, he saw Dr. Hernandez crossing the plaza and it gave him a little hope.

As always he made haste to change into his normal clothing after he had taken care of Toronado. Pretending to read a book he had to wait for his father's return from the pueblo, since as Diego he couldn't know what had happened that day. The dreadful fear that Victoria might be dying ate up his heart and the urge to rush back to the pueblo became overwhelming. Doing nothing and pretending to be ignorant just to keep his disguise had never been so hard. As the minutes dragged by he remembered the time when he had feared for life after she had been shot from Bishop. This was the second time she was close to death because of him and he knew he couldn't go through it again. Seeing her die in his stead was the worst thing he could imagine and he would do anything to prevent that from happening again. Just when he was about to ride into the pueblo he heard his father come back.

"Father, you are late. I thought you only wanted to have lunch in the tavern," he tried to sound calm.

"Diego, you can't know what happened today. Victoria was severely injured while she tried to save Zorro."

"Is Victoria dead?" he needn't feign shock when the picture of Victoria bleeding profusely in his arms was still heavily engraved on his mind.

"No, but she was very close bleeding to death. Fortunately Dr. Hernandez was able to stop it in time. I waited in the pueblo, until I was sure she would survive."

"Then she is out of danger now? What exactly happened?" Hearing the news let him exhale again after he had involuntarily held his breath.

His father was too shocked himself to be surprised at his son's reaction and recounted the events in the plaza. After Zorro had left, Dr. Hernandez had arrived who had been fetched by a servant. He had treated the wound while Victoria was still lying on the porch. Alejandro had carried the unconscious Victoria to her room and had waited at the tavern while the doctor was monitoring her. Only after Dr. Hernandez had assured him that she was out of danger had he returned to the hacienda.

Diego had ridden to the pueblo to look for Victoria's state of health, but she had been sleeping and he didn't want to disturb her.

After dinner he excused himself with a coming cold and returned to his room. Later he slipped into the cave and changed into his Zorro attire. He was ready to go, but he delayed his departure as much as possible since he didn't look forward to the task he had set himself.

It was already very late when Zorro returned to the pueblo. His first visit he paid to the alcalde who with his honorless behavior had nearly killed Victoria. The alcalde had already gone to bed, but had expected Zorro's visit. He tried to defend himself, but his fighting skills were no match against Zorro. With his whip Zorro marked a Z into the alcalde's throat close to the same area where the alcalde had injured Victoria today.

"If you ever try to harm Victoria again in order to catch me, I will do more than simply mark your throat. You can cover this mark with your tie, but it will be constant reminder what will happen if you don't heed my warning."

His next visit he paid to Victoria who was recovering in her bed. The tavern was already closed and from the roof he silently entered her room through the window.

"Zorro," she whispered with no surprise as if she had expected his visit.

"Sorry, my querida, but I couldn't come earlier." He sat down at her bedside and restrained her when she wanted to rise from her pillow.

"Lay back," he ordered. "You must rest after you lost so much blood. I heard that you will be alright again soon, but how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Zorro, only feeling a bit weak. You need not worry about me."

"What you did was the most stupid thing I ever saw. You were nearly killed today. If the injury had gone a little bit deeper, you would be dead now." He took her in his arms and held her tight. She could feel the shiver run through him when he remembered the events.

"But if I hadn't, the alcalde would have caught you and you would be facing the gallows now. I'd rather have died."

"Victoria, this can't go on. I want to protect you, but I have become a hazard to you. The alcalde will probably not repeat his action after I visited him tonight, but everyone who wants to capture me only needs to take you hostage. Now they know how easy it is. And with that bounty on my head the temptation is quite high. I can't go through this again, I thought you were dying in my arms today." He was shuddering again. "It was the most horrible thing to feel you bleeding to death. That's why I have made a decision."

Alarmed by his sincere tone she looked at him.

"We can no longer be together. I'd rather lose you than see you dead."

"Are you taking back your proposal?" Victoria was shocked.

"Yes." His voice sounded dry and hoarse. "I'm sorry, Victoria, but Zorro can never marry you as long this is not over and maybe it never will."

"Zorro, please, you can't do this. Not after all this time we have been waiting." Weakly she clung to him, sobbing at his chest. "I love you, Zorro."

" I love you too, Victoria, but it must be." He wanted to place a kiss on her cheek, but she turned her face and he kissed her mouth instead. Knowing that this was goodbye, it became the longest and most passionate kiss they ever shared. Tenderly he held her for some more time, before he let her sink back into the covers. He hated himself when he saw her silently weeping. Softly he wiped the tears from her face. "I love you," he whispered again, before he turned around to slip through the window again.

Only when he was back on Toronado did he let his own tears fall. Several times on his way back he was about to turn around and make up with Victoria again, but the image of her blood spilling under his hands always held him back.

Numbed he returned to the cave where he sat down at his desk and buried his face in his arms. Victoria would no longer be killed for Zorro, but he had lost her. What should he do now? Without her the fight wasn't worth fighting, but what else could he do?

Felipe found him at his desk in the morning when he wanted to start on his daily chores. Concerned by his bad look he asked him what had happened.

"Victoria, no she is not dead."

'What is wrong then?'

"I split up with Victoria." Slowly Diego explained what he had done and his motives.

With his swollen eyes his father was convinced that his son had indeed caught a bad cold and urged him to stay in bed. Alejandro couldn't know that it wasn't a cold, but a heartache his son was suffering from.

Two days later Diego returned to the tavern to lend Victoria his support, but she wanted to speak with nobody and stayed in her room.

The split between Victoria and Zorro became soon obvious to the pueblo. Zorro never made an appearance in the pueblo again and refrained his activities to catching bandits around Los Angeles. Instead of delivering them personally to the lancers he left Mendoza a note where he could pick up the tied up bandits somewhere outside the pueblo. This way he made sure that he was never seen in Victoria's presence any more.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Quarrel

Don Alejandro to whom Victoria was like a daughter was angry at Zorro after he heard the news of their parting. Unfortunately it was Diego who had to listen to his tirade increasing the remorse Diego felt.

"Diego have you heard about Victoria and Zorro?" Alejandro was pacing the library up and down.

"First she gets injured to save him and how does he thank her? He splits up with her! As a man he should stand beside her while she is recovering but instead he leaves her alone. I'd never thought that from him."

"Don't you think, Zorro has his reasons, Father?"

"Why are you suddenly defending Zorro? Normally you are not very fond of him."

"Zorro was the reason Victoria got almost killed and now he has made sure she is no longer a bait for him. Sow what is wrong with that?"

"I think it is unfair to have her wait so long for him and then abandon her."

"As long as he fights as Zorro, he can never marry her and no one knows how long the alcalde is going to last."

Some days after he split up with Victoria, he still wasn't himself again. He hadn't slept much recently and that night he decided to ride out as Zorro something more useful than tossing around in his bed.

Instead of riding south that would bring him to the pueblo and Victoria, he wanted to check on the eastern valley where there had been attacks on some farms. He didn't have to search long for the bandits, the light of their fire being easy to catch in one of the few possible hiding spots.

Feeling safe, the bandits hadn't posted a watch and were surprised by his appearance. After he knocked down two of them, he fenced with the third who tried in vain to parry his attacks.

Zorro was just about to disarm him when it happened. In the darkness he stumbled across some log on the ground he hadn't paid attention to. When he fell on his knees, the bandit managed to scratch him across his upper thigh. Under pain he managed to get back on his feet and disarm the bandit with a quick move. Hobbling across the field, he tied the bandits and mounted Toronado again.

Felipe was shocked when he saw him returning home wounded.

"It is nothing serious, Felipe," Diego calmed him. "Just a flesh wound."

'How it happened?'

"I didn't pay enough attention to the ground and one of the bandits scratched me with his sword."

"Yes, you are right, Felipe. Maybe I was too tired to ride out tonight."

"Yes, I will be more careful in the future."

'If I go to sleep now?'

"No, not now, I have to dispatch this letter to Mendoza to let him know where he can pick up the bandits."

Diego pointed at the note he had just written on his desk. Felipe surprised him by snatching the letter from the desk and signing that he would dispatch it. Before Diego could argue with him, Felipe had already left the cave. Diego didn't want Felipe get more involved in Zorro's activities than necessary, but for once he was relieved. The wound hurt more than he had admitted to Felipe and the loss of blood had increased his tiredness even more.

The next day Mendoza repeated in the tavern the claim of the bandits that they had wounded Zorro in a fight.

"Mendoza, you should know better than to repeat these lies about Zorro. The bandits are only boasting with their claim to have injured Zorro. Nobody is able to beat Zorro in sword fight and even less injure him." Victoria scolded him.

"Why don't you believe that Zorro is injured, Victoria?" Diego asked still feeling the pain in his leg.

"No simple bandit could beat Zorro and I will not listen to such lies."

"He is a man after all who can be beaten or killed." Diego insisted.

"But not Zorro," she returned.

"Shouldn't you try you to see more the man than the legend? Why are you still defending him, Victoria? He has split up with you and now you need to think about your future. So, what are you going to do, Victoria?"

"Well, nothing. What should I do?"

"You have been waiting all these years for Zorro, but now you are free again to marry someone else."

Eagerly he waited for her response, hoping she would be willing to accept courtship and he could win her as Diego.

"There is only one man I love and that is Zorro. There will be nobody else for me. But you won't know that since you know nothing about women at all. If I'd chose someone else, it would be someone who is a man of action and ready to stand up against the alcalde. But since I haven't met anyone remotely like him, I'd rather stay on my own than take one of those the matchmaker has presented me."

He listened in horror when Victoria crushed all his hopes to dust. She wasn't willing to accept courtship from someone else and least of all from him. He had lost her for good. There was no hope at all, she would ever accept plain Diego and all his fears suddenly came true. In his despair he replied harsher than he had intended.

"I think you don't really love the man. You are in love with the legend and all he stands for, but not with the man behind the mask. For you, Zorro is invincible and can't be hurt or killed. You don't see the ordinary man who bleeds like any other. Maybe you like the attention your status as Zorro's love has given you. Being the love of the hero of the town makes you stand out from the rest of the people."

Victoria was stunned by his accusations.

"How can you even think that of me. I thought you were my friend, Diego. You should know well enough that I'm not interested in standing out. And I do love the man and not the legend."

"I'm sorry what I said Victoria." Diego apologized, but he didn't sound convinced by her reply. Both were hurt and though they apologized to each other, it was more an act of good manners and they couldn't take back what had been said. They knew each other well and the words had hit where they hurt the most and tainted their friendship.

Diego's mood was lower than ever, now that all his hope was gone. The next days he did not go to the tavern. Except for his work at the newspaper he didn't go to the pueblo either.

Victoria was furious at Diego. How could he talk to her like this. After all these years he should know that her love to Zorro wasn't about being famous or standing out as he had called it. She loved Zorro truly and it wasn't something that simply went away. All she wished for was to marry Zorro and she knew he was feeling the same. If Zorro hadn't feared for her safety, he wouldn't have taken back his proposal. How much she wished that this would be over. No alcalde, no bounty on Zorro's head, just a normal life, married to the ordinary man behind the mask and having a family.

In the years she had been waiting for Zorro, she had gotten many proposals, but after the one time when she had nearly married Juan, there had been no one she had even considered. It wouldn't be fair to any of the men if she married him while her heart belonged to another.

With Zorro she had shared passionate kisses and tight embraces and she couldn't imagine ever being that close to someone else.

But what should she do now? Hoping that Zorro changed his mind and came back to her? Hoping for the alcalde to leave? Become an old spinster and never have a family of her own? What would be more horrible, staying alone for the rest of her life or an unhappy marriage with a man she didn't love? How much longer could she wait until she was too old for a family?

Why did Diego pick now of all time to have a quarrel when she needed someone to talk to? All the years he had been a good friend and now he seemed to have abandoned her. He rarely talked to her any more and their easy friendship had vanished. He was always quite tense around her and avoided her as much as possible.

Alejandro tried to intercede between the two of them after he heard of their quarrel, but the hurt ran too deep. He had never seen his son in such a low state and he couldn't understand why he was suddenly so cross with Victoria. It wasn't the first time she had stated her opinion about his inactivity. Why hadn't Diego been more understanding about Victoria's situation? She suffered from the loss of Zorro and Diego had nothing better to do than to pick a fight with Victoria. What had he hoped to achieve when he accused her that she only loved the legend?

In his opinion both were right with their statements about each other. Diego should really be more active instead pursuing his fruitless studies and Victoria should stop dreaming about her hero and continue with her life.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 An old friend

About a week later Alejandro surprised him with a dinner party at their hacienda. Alejandro's old friend Don Fernando had come over for a visit. He was accompanied by his daughter Carmen who was recently widowed.

After dinner Alejandro ask his son to show Carmen the garden at the hacienda. Diego knew very well what his father had in mind. He and his friend Don Fernando had always hoped to unite their haciendas by marrying their children who were of the same age. Diego and Carmen had been good fellows, but even when they were teenagers it had been clear to them that they would never be more than friends. Now that Carmen was widowed, their fathers were renewing their matchmaking plans again.

Diego did as he requested, but remained taciturnly as he had during dinner. Finally it was Carmen who broke the silence.

"Diego, we have always been good friends and I hope we remain so. Only because our fathers wish for something, it does not mean that we have to acquiesced them. I have no intention of marrying you and I never will."

For the first time something like a smile appeared on Diego's face showing the relief he felt.

"We haven't met for a long time, Carmen. In the last ten years while you have been married to your Alonzo in Monterey, we have met each other rarely and both of our lives have changed a lot in these years. You married and had children while I went to Spain to study and returned home. We are not the teenagers we used to be. Just tell me of your life in the last years."

Carmen told him of her life with Alonzo de Guadalquivir, the man she had been in love with since childhood. His parents had bought a hacienda near Monterey where they had lived together after her marriage at the age of eighteen. With two sons now six and nine years old the marriage had been happy.

"You are not happy now, Carmen," Diego said sympathetically. "You must miss him much."

"Yes," she said hesitatingly making Diego curious.

"There seems to be more to it. Just tell me what worries you. I promise I'll keep to myself, just like in old days."

"I know Diego, you could always keep a secret and there was no better friend than you. Youare right, I miss my husband, but although he is only two months dead, he has been gone for over a year."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Eleven months before his death Alonzo had a terrible riding accident. He was hit hard on the head and suffered a lot of pain from other injuries. At first we all thought he wouldn't make it, but then he survived after all and I was happy about it. It took some time until we became aware of the changes the accident had on him. He was different person afterwards, he became a total stranger to me and his family. A bitter man who no longer loved me or his sons and cared only for himself. He struggled for eleven months to stay alive and in the end he succumbed to his injuries."

"It must have been the hit on the head," Diego added.

"That is what the doctor said too," Carmen continued. "Life was like hell then. Alonzo was constantly demanding my attention while I had to lead the farm on my own. His parents are already

too old to be of help and the only one I could rely on was Alfredo, the head vaquero."

"Let me guess, Carmen. You fell in love with him."

"How do you know?"

"Just the way you speak his name and you wouldn't mention him if he wasn't important to you."

"You are right. I love Alfredo and he loves me."

"Then why are you so unhappy?"

"Because at the moment there is no way we can be together. Neither Alonzo parents nor my father will ever agree if I marry a lowly vaquero. For Alonzo's parents it is like I am unfaithful to their dead son and my father doesn't want his daughter married below her status. And for the year I'm required to be in mourning there is nothing I could do anyway. They all think Alfredo is only interested in making his luck by marrying a rich woman. But he is not like that or I wouldn't fallen in love with him. He promised to wait for me until my mourning year is over as he waited for me while I was caring for my husband never demanding anything of me."

"I understand now why your father suddenly has revived the idea to get us married."

"What about you Diego? Why aren't you married?"

"Life doesn't always work out as we planned," he said evasively.

"Come on, Diego. I just trusted you with my love life and you know you can trust me as well. Are you still in love with Victoria Escalante? Why didn't you marry her?"

"How do you know that?" Diego was surprised.

"Since we were children there was only Alonzo for me and I know that you have always loved Victoria. So tell me what happened?"

"What happened is Zorro."

"Zorro, the famous outlaw? Even in Monterey we have heard of his deeds."

"Victoria fell in love with him and since he appeared she had waited for him to finish his crusade against the alcalde."

"Had waited? What has changed?"

"Zorro split up with her."

"So there is your chance!"

"That is what I had hoped as well. But she made it quite clear that I will never be more than a brother to her." Showing his frustrations Diego had started to pace up and down. Then he stopped again facing her. "As you can see we are in the same boat. We both love someone we can't have."

"Maybe you should be a little more patient, Diego. A woman needs some time to move her affections from one man to another." Carmen tried to cheer him up.

Diego showed a small smile. "Maybe you are right, Carmen," he sounded unconvinced.

"Since you are free then, Diego, would you mind spending some time with me while I'm staying in Los Angeles? I'd rather spend it with someone who has no intentions on me than with a possible suitor."

Diego smiled. "You have always been frank with your talk, Carmen. My father has been trying to match me with some woman for years and I know how that feels like. If we make them believe we get along well, we will both have a respite from their matchmaking."

In the next weeks Diego spent a lot of time together with Carmen who was able to distract him a little from his inner tumults. Carmen knew her father quite well and that he would do anything to marry her off, so she made sure she was always in the company of a maid who served as chaperone.

This was welcome fodder for the local gossip. Had the studious Don Diego made advances on the beautiful senora that a chaperone was necessary? Both seemed to get along well and spent a lot of time together. It was also rumored that they waited with their engagement only because the senora was still in mourning.

Seeing Diego spending most of his time with another woman didn't improve Victoria's mood at all. She wouldn't admit it, but she was jealous that he rarely had time for her now. Diego had become a very elusive person who never came over to the bar anymore for a friendly chat if he came to the tavern at all. She missed the friendship they had had and that had vanished so abruptly after their quarrel.

Carmen tried to be friendly to Victoria with whom she had played together as a child, but even as children they hadn't gotten along well. Victoria rebuffed Carmen's friendly advances and wouldn't believe her assurances that she had no intention to marry Don Diego.

If they weren't in love why were they spending so much time together? Diego was hardly seen without her and of course her maid. Carmen's sons seemed to like him and Diego got along with them well.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 An unplanned encounter

Early in the morning on the day of Carmen's departure Zorro was guarding the northern road to Santa Paula. He had heard of some attacks on travelers, but the lancers hadn't been able to catch the bandits. From his vantage point he had a good overview over the road, but there weren't any travelers in sight.

It didn't take long until the the small wagon appeared he had been expecting. There was no need to wait for it to came closer to identify the woman who was sitting on it. Victoria who was on her way to Santa Paula on some business as he had heard her say yesterday in the tavern.

The bandits who he hadn't been able to catch sight of until now left him no more time to think. The moment they emerged from their hiding spot to attack the wagon, he set Toronado into motion. The moment of surprise on his side they were no match for him. Easily he overcame them and bound them backwards on their horses to send them to Los Angeles where the sergeant Mendoza would know what to do with them after he saw the Z on their clothing and found the message he left for him.

Only after this was finished he approached Victoria who had steered the wagon into the shade of the small grove beside the road.

Ever since that fateful day when he split up with her, he had gone out of her way as Zorro and now he didn't know what to say. They never stopped looking into each others eyes when he offered her his hand to help her down the wagon. Victoria didn't say anything either but the moment she touched the ground she was in his arms. He couldn't let go of her after all these weeks he had been longing to hold her. Kissing her frantically she melted in his arms and they forgot the world around them. He showed her how much he had missed her and how much she meant to him by kissing and caressing her. Several times he released her to leave, only to turn around again and like a drowning man he kept on kissing her. They didn't know how much time had passed one hour or two when they heard a group of horses on the road.

"You should try to forget me," he whispered after he released her. They were the first words he said to her.

"Never," she said defiantly.

After he had revealed so much of his feelings to her she knew that it broke his heart as much as as hers to say that. They had never been so close to each other and there was no way they could deny their love. She saw the tears in his eyes before he finally turned around and this time he didn't look back when he rode away to escape the nearing lancers.

Her lips were burning from his kisses and she felt the chill winter day now that she was no longer in his warm embrace. Blinded from tears she continued her journey to Santa Paula although it was nearly to late for the journey and she would have to stay there until the next morning.

Z Z Z

As in a trance he returned home from the most happy and at the same most heart tearing morning of his life. Never before had they spent so much uninterrupted time together and knowing that it had to be the last time had made it only so much more bittersweet. But how could they part now when the display of emotions this morning had tightened them closer than ever before? Why had he acted like a fool today? He should have left the moment he had captured the bandits. Now he would never be able to win her as Diego and how else could they get married without the alcalde becoming suspicious?

Contemplating he sat in the library unaware of his surroundings and didn't hear his father's words.

"Diego, where have you been? You missed Carmen's departure to Monterey. She was here to say goodbye to you and she was disappointed that you weren't there."

"Who left?" Diego asked trying to understand what his father was telling him.

"Carmen. Where are you with your thoughts, Diego."

"Carmen who? Oh yes, she left." Diego replied absentminded.

"Don't tell me you suddenly don't know any more who Carmen is, after you spent so much time with her recently. Is everything all right with you, Diego?"

"Yes, everything is fine, Father." He wanted to go to the cave, but in the last moment he remembered that he couldn't open the secret passage in his father's presence.

Concerned Alejandro looked at his son who headed for his room. Something was bothering him deeply or he wouldn't be in such a state. He only wished that Diego would confide in him and tell him of his troubles. He would have thought Diego was sad about Carmen's departure after they had gotten along so well, but obviously he didn't care about her as much as Alejandro had hoped. Diego hardly seemed to remember who she was today.

To distract himself Diego went to the cave to ride out as Zorro again. When he went to the rack to change his outfit he found his black clothes missing. He looked around but they were nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later Felipe emerged from the entrance to the hacienda.

"Felipe, where are my clothes?"

'You took them?'

"Why did you do that?"

'To protect me?'

"Felipe, I can take care of myself, there is no need for that."

'You think that I'm too distracted tonight? That I'm somewhere else with my thoughts?'

"Felipe, maybe you are right, but that is no reason to take my clothes. Now return them."

Stubbornly Felipe sat down in a chair and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Diego sighed. "Felipe, why must we have this discussion tonight. I know what I'm doing."

Felipe shook his head.

'You don't think that when it gets to Victoria? That I get injured when I'm too distracted? That I should rather drink some cactus tea to sleep than ride out into the night?'

"So you are going to insist that I stay home tonight?"

Felipe nodded vehemently. Then he went to the table and poured some cactus tea into a small mug that he offered his father.

Diego sighed again and shook his head. "No, I don't need any cactus tea. I'll try to sleep without it. I think I'm tired enough."

Slowly he rose from his chair and headed for the exit. "Only this time I'm going to give in to you if you promise never to hide my clothes again."

Felipe agreed with a nod.

"But don't think you can make a habit out of it," Diego admonished him.

Felipe hid his relieved smile behind his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The Fall

Like a moth to the flame Diego was attracted to Victoria. Now that Carmen was no longer there to distract him, he couldn't stay away from the tavern anymore. After their encounter the day before he needed to see her, although he knew that it was foolish. He sat down at Mendoza table and invited him for lunch to share the latest news.

"Diego, now that the senora de Guadalquivir has left, you want to make up with your old friends again after you have ignored us the last weeks? I never thought you were so unreliable." Victoria accused him.

Victoria was still confused after the meeting with Zorro yesterday and the lack of sleep made her irritable and inattentive which lead to many broken dishes and annoyed customers.

"The senorita is right," Mendoza agreed, "you haven't spent a lot of time with anybody else recently."

"I'm sorry, you got that impression from me," Diego apologized. "What about an extra portion of tamales for our sergeant here."

"That is really graceful of you, Don Diego," the sergeant was easily mollified.

"Don't think you can turn a friendship on or off like that, Diego." Victoria was still angry at him.

Diego followed her with his eyes when she left the table and went upstairs to carry some towels to the guest rooms. She had just reached the top step when a small child suddenly emerged from one of the guest rooms heading straight for the stairs. Startled she let the towels fall when she slipped on the stairs. In vain she tried to regain her balance while she was tumbling backwards. Before she hit the ground, she was caught by two strong arms.

All eyes were directed at the little boy who was crying loud from the fright he had received and nobody paid attention to the fact that Diego had just saved Victoria from a terrible fall.

"Are you alright?" Diego asked her concerned after he had put her down again.

Surprised she looked at him. "I'm fine. Thank you." She was a little shaken and did not realize that his hands were still holding her at the shoulders. "How were you able to catch me when you were sitting across the room?"

Diego said nothing and only stared at her. He raised his hand, but before he touched her cheek, he released her abruptly as if she was a hot iron and headed for the door leaving his food untouched at the table. Puzzled by his odd behavior she looked after him as he crossed the plaza for the office of The Guardian. When he reached the well at the center, he stopped shortly to splash water into his face as if he needed to cool down although it was a chilly day.

At siesta Victoria went to The Guardian's office where Diego was sitting at his desk when Victoria entered.

"Victoria, what can I do for you?" he asked, rising politely to greet her.

"Diego, you left the tavern so suddenly that I didn't even have the chance to thank you properly. You probably saved my life today."

"Well, it was nothing. I just happened to be there at the right time," he tried to sound indifferently, but he stared at her. Frantically he tried to keep himself under control, but simply her sight was erasing his composure by the second_._

The longing to hold her in his arms was nearly irresistible, but as Diego he couldn't show his love to her. Today he had been close to reveal himself and kiss her in the middle of the tavern when he felt her in his arms. He didn't know how longer he could stand it and he rather avoided her than being tempted by her presence while she was out of reach for him.

"If there is nothing else then you must excuse me, I have something important to attend to." He turned his back to her and headed for the table with the types.

"Diego, why do you hate me? Where has our friendship gone?" Hurt by his rude manners she turned around with tears in her eyes and stormed out of the door.

"I don't hate you, Victoria," he turned back again just in time to see her hurt look before she left. "I love you," he whispered to the empty door.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Victoria in trouble

It was already late, but Diego was still at the Guardian when Felipe knocked at the door gesturing agitated. It took him some moments to understand him.

'Victoria is what? She is drinking at the tavern? She is drunk? There is trouble?'

When Felipe nodded, he got alarmed and rushed over to the tavern. What he saw shocked him.

Victoria who was obviously drunk was sitting at a tavern bench with two men who weren't sober either. One of them had put an arm around her shoulder and was trying to pull her tight.

"Victoria, what are you doing? You never drink with your customers!"

"Diego, you don't care for me any more, so why are you concerned now?" She reached for the wine bottle and took another drink. "Just let me have some fun with my new friends. Zorro is gone and these are my friends now." She pointed to the two drunken vaqueros.

Her words hit him and he remorsefully realized that it was due to his actions that Victoria was so desperate. He had left her as Zorro and as Diego he hadn't been there for her either. How would he get out of the mess he had created?

"This will stop now, Victoria. You have had enough to drink for tonight." He took the bottle out of her hands and put it away. "And you senores should better leave now."

"Diego, you have no right to tell me what to do. If I want to drink, it is my decision, so hand me back my bottle," Victoria babbled drunkenly.

"The lady is right," the men with the arm around Victoria's shoulder added. "We were just starting to have fun. You can't make us leave."

"Try me," Diego growled, his anger slowly rising. "Either you leave now or you'll regret it."

Victoria was too drunk to notice his changed voice and attitude and the men payed it no heed. They laughed and rose from the bench to meet his challenge.

Diego raised his leg and one of the men fell down after he got Diego's foot into his chest while the other was knocked out by his fist. Diego quickly bound them and then he called Mendoza from the plaza.

"Don Diego, what happened?" the sergeant inquired looking at the two men who had regained their consciousness.

"These men tried to assault Victoria. A night in jail should sober them up," he replied.

"That's a lie," one of the men retorted. "We were just a little friendly to her. Because he is a caballero, he thinks he can come in and have the girl for himself."

"Shut up," Mendoza told him. "A night in jail will teach you to behave."

"What about the senorita?" Mendoza pointed to Victoria who had slumped over the table.

"I'll take care of her," Diego assured the sergeant.

"As I said, the caballero only wants her for himself," the man complained again.

Without further warning Mendoza gagged him and his companion, before he got some of his men to lead them to the jail.

After the lancers had left with their charges, Diego turned to Victoria. In her drunken state she was only half aware what was happening around her. He carried her to the kitchen where he found a wet cloth he put in her face, but it did not sober her up as much as he had hoped.

"I'm so sick, Diego, I have to throw up," she moaned.

Afterwards he helped her to clean her mouth and carried her to her room where she instantly fell asleep. The tavern had to be locked for the night and the mess in the kitchen had to been cleaned up. The menial work couldn't distract him from his worries and in his fatigue he wasn't able to think of a solution to his situation. He only knew that he could no longer abandon Victoria like he had before and except for making up again with her as Zorro, he saw no way how he could be together with her, not after she explicitly stated her opinion about Diego. It would make her a target again for the alcalde or any other who wanted to capture him and that could be deadly for both of them. There had to be another way, but he just didn't see it.

Victoria was sleeping soundly when he looked after her again. Sitting in a chair beside her bed he decided to keep her some more company in case she needed help when she woke up. It was also a good excuse to stay by her side and simply look at her without having to guard his feelings. Tenderly he caressed her cheek and placed a kiss on it.

"Zorro," she moaned in her sleep without waking. Holding her hand he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes for a second luxuriating in the feeling to be close to her as Diego.

Having let go of her hand during the night he woke at dawn with stiff muscles from the uncomfortable chair while Victoria was sleeping in her bed. She looked much better now than the night before and would be fine again except for a bad headache.

Quietly he slipped out of the tavern confident that it was too early for anybody to be up already and see him. As Diego he couldn't use the roofs or windows and he had to leave through the door.

The whole incident would have been smoothed over if the alcalde hadn't seen Diego leave from the tavern.

Always curious what was going on, he questioned the prisoners in his jail and then he got his idea. Smirking quietly to himself he set his plan into motion that would crush his archenemy Zorro.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Wedding plans

In the afternoon the gossip was all over the pueblo. Don Diego had been seen leaving the tavern in the morning after he had spent the night with Victoria. Nobody would have believed the story only at the word of the alcalde, but Mendoza had to admit that he had left Victoria in Don Diego's care and together with the talk of the two vaqueros who the alcalde had set free again and explicitly encouraged to repeat their story, there seemed to be no doubt what had happened.

Victoria was horrified when she was confronted with the accusations since she couldn't remember anything from last night and with her headache she only wished to return to her bed. She only knew that she woke up in her bed with a terrible headache fully clothed and covered with a sheet.

The sneer look of the alcalde didn't improve her mood either. All her attempts to defend her and Diego's reputation were in vain because nobody wanted to believe her when all evidence spoke against them.

Don Alejandro was furious when he returned to the hacienda after he learned the news in the pueblo. Angry as Diego had never seen him before, he stormed into the library where he found his son playing the piano.

Ignorant of the events in the pueblo Diego wasn't prepared for the rage his father directed at him.

"Haven't you got something to tell me, Diego? I'm just coming from the pueblo and after what I heard, I'm truly disappointed of you. I always thought you knew how to behave as a de la Vega. But now you have not only ruined your reputation but Victoria's as well. How could you do this to me!"

Alejandro went on some more until he was finally at the end of his tirade.

"Father, please tell me what this is all about," Diego interrupted him who wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"I don't think I need to tell you what we are talking about. You spent the last night with Victoria in her tavern. Just don't deny it. You were seen leaving in the morning by worst of all our alcalde."

"Father, you can't sincerely believe that I dishonored Victoria. Yesterday I helped her to get rid of some nasty fellows and then I fell asleep in a chair. I swear you that nothing happened between us."

Alejandro believed his son, but nonetheless their reputation was compromised. And this was a good chance as any to get his son finally married.

"What happened or not does not really matter anymore. Unless you marry Victoria, her reputation is ruined and that is something I can't let happen. I already spoke with the padre today. You will marry Victoria in three days."

"What?" Diego was totally stunned. He couldn't believe what was happening. "You can't arrange my wedding without talking to me first."

"I can and I have." There was no stopping his father. "You will not dishonor our name. I expect you to marry Victoria on Friday. I have already told Victoria the same. Tomorrow you will propose to her in the tavern."

Diego had risen and went to the door.

"Where are you going, Diego?" Alejandro intercepted him.

"I'm riding to the pueblo to talk to Victoria."

"There is already enough talk about the two of you. You need not kindle the gossip anymore. Until you are properly married, I don't want to see you two together without chaperone."

"Don't you think you are overacting, Father?"

"Just give me your word that you will not meet Victoria alone, Diego."

Diego was choked by the events and he needed time to think about the implications, but he knew his father needed to be placated.

"I promise." Diego sighed heavily. Now he was committed without being able to resolve everything with Victoria before the wedding.

The plans had been set in motion and there was no stopping of it. Try as she might Victoria couldn't refuse to marry Diego. Since his father wouldn't let them talk alone, they couldn't even talk about it without supervision.

The next day there was a public and not very romantic proposal from Diego in the tavern in front of everybody.

Diego had simply taken Victoria's hand and asked her to marry her and she had said 'Yes' as expected.

It was followed by loud clapping from all present and congratulations from their friends who tried to ignore the forced smile on their faces.

The time until the wedding day went by quickly and was filled with preparations leaving neither Victoria nor Diego hardly any time on their own and even less together.

Why had he only made this stupid promise not to be alone with Victoria until the wedding? Diego wished he could tell Victoria before the wedding about Zorro, but he couldn't do it with anybody else listening. She would have to find out on their wedding day and God help him if she rejected him then.

The days seemed to be the most horrible in their lives. Diego had never been this nervous now that his greatest nightmare probably came true and Victoria would reject him at the altar because she was only in love with Zorro and not with Diego or she hated him for lying to her or..

The reasons he could think of for Victoria not to marry him were enough for sleepless nights. It would be worst of all if she involuntarily revealed his identity to the gathered community including the alcalde and reject him at the same time.

Victoria wasn't sleeping well either. This forced wedding came all too sudden and she didn't know what to do. After Diego had caught her from the fall from the stairs, he had looked at her as if he wanted to kiss her and in that moment she had wished it too. But then he had distanced himself again and his rebuff later at The Guardian had hurt her more than anything. She didn't know what to make of him. In one moment he cared for her and then he rejected her and in the evening he had been there for her once more although her memories were blurred from that night.

She wished there had been an opportunity to talk with him in private before the wedding. She needed to know what kind of feelings he had toward her. Was it love or hate or just brotherly affection? Did he feel as trapped as she or did he agree with the wedding? He had proposed to her quite unromantically in the tavern and from his reserved way she hadn't been able to discern his attitude.

And what about her own feelings? Diego hardly touched her or looked her in the eyes, but his surprisingly strong hands had felt so good on her arms. Why was she suddenly so attracted to him when she only loved Zorro?Why did she feel so torn? There was only one man she wanted to marry and that was Zorro. How could she marry someone else even if it was her good friend Diego? She wished Zorro would come and do something to prevent the wedding, but she knew that he wouldn't. Not when she was about to marry Diego whom he once had proposed himself as a suitable husband for her. "Oh Zorro, please come back to me," she cried into her pillow. "Zorro, I love you so."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Wedding

The alcalde couldn't hide his malicious glee. Today Zorro would be crushed when his love was forced to marry someone else. His revenge was surpassed by the fact that it was not only Zorro who would be crushed today, but also his rebellious lover. By spreading the gossip he had made her accept the proposal of the man who was the least like her idealized Zorro. And the complacent Don Diego had to give up his bachelorhood for a fiery woman who would rule his life. Yes, today would be perfect.

The church was filled to the last seat as the whole pueblo wanted to witness the wedding of Zorro's former love to most notorious bachelor of Los Angeles. Many of them expected an interruption of the wedding either by the appearance of Zorro or Victoria's refusal to wed.

Diego was waiting nervously in front of the altar while his father was leading Victoria down the aisle. In his pocket he held his mother's ring that he had given Victoria when he had proposed to her as Zorro. When he had broken up with her, she had kept it. Only before the wedding had he been able to sneak into Victoria's room and get it back. It would be her wedding ring if only she agreed to it.

The padre had begun his long winded speech about matrimony knowing well that only half of it reached the ears of the nervous couple in front of him. Then he asked for the rings to be placed on the red velvet pillow Felipe, Diego's best man, was holding.

"Your mother's ring, Diego" Victoria heard Alejandro say lowly that it was only heard by those at the altar. "You had it while I have been searching for it."

Then the padre asked Diego if he was willing to marry Victoria and Diego had said his 'I do' and then he addressed Victoria, but she didn't hear his words.

She only stared at the ring on the pillow with the emerald in the center surrounded by diamonds. During many hours she had put the ring on her finger and dreamed of a future with Zorro. There was no mistake that this was the same ring. 'His mother's ring', Zorro had said when he gave it to her and now Alejandro had said the same to Diego. Did it mean that Diego was Zorro? But that couldn't be, could it? She would have recognized him, wouldn't she? She stared at Diego who stood expectantly beside her. For the first time she noticed that Diego's suit wasn't a dark blue but black giving his skin the same shade as Zorro's and Diego's eyes were the same blue. She needn't imagine a mask in front of them to see the love in them. How could she have been so blind?

She would have fainted if Diego hadn't supported her. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings again and the padre who repeated his question for the fourth time. The silence in the church became more and more palpable while everyone was waiting for her answer, but she only looked in Diego's eyes.

"You!" she whispered. The shock made her cry.

"Please answer the question, will you marry me?" Diego returned in a low voice that was at the same time much deeper than usual. But she needed no more evidence to know who he was.

When she had composed herself a little, she turned to the padre and through tears she answered with a clearly audible voice:

"I do."

She felt Diego breath a deep sigh of relief beside her, the tension in the church was broken and murmur was heard through the rows.

"You may kiss the bride now, Diego," the padre announced, after he had declared them husband and wife.

She wanted to throw herself into one of full-hearted kisses they had shared before, but he stopped her and kept the kiss short and tender while he wiped her tears away. Still crying she left the church supported by Diego's arm around her waist.

"Don't start any more rumors, Victoria, keep up the show," he whispered in a low voice.

"You'll have a lot to explain, Diego," she reminded him when he was grinning at her.

As soon as they arrived at the hacienda the newly wed excused themselves from the reception party for a private moment in the garden.

The alcalde who was too eager to see his revenge taking fruit was more than satisfied. This was even better than he had anticipated. Victoria had waited in vain for her lover to interrupt the wedding and now, when it was too late, she was crying for her lost love. He turned around laughing to himself and he never thought there could be another explantion.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Victoria sobbed. "I had a right to know!" She was still recovering from shock. "And why have you been so distant to me?"

"I'm sorry, Victoria. First I wanted to protect you and then I was afraid you would reject me. But I couldn't keep away from you and then I didn't know what to do when all I wanted to do was to kiss you. I love you, Victoria." The whole time he had been caressing her cheek and stroking her back, feeling her body in their close embrace.

"Show me." She clung her arms around his neck while she opened her lips for the passionate kiss she was longing for.

"Forgive me?"

"Always, but you will need a lifetime to make up for it." She flung herself into his embrace. "I love you, Diego."

"I'm looking forward to it, now that I have you as my wife." He grinned before he intensified their kisses.

"Victoria, Diego, where are you? Your guests are waiting!" They heard Alejandro calling for them.

"Does he know?" Victoria whispered.

"No, but I will tell him tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"You do want a wedding night, don't you?"

"Yes. Why?" Victoria asked uncomprehendingly.

"Well, sitting up all night and answering my father's questions about Zorro is not my idea of a wedding night. Tomorrow is early enough."

"And what about my questions?"

He shut her mouth with a kiss, grinning mischievously.

"Don't think you're off the hook so easily," Victoria smiled after some time when they could no longer ignore Alejandro's calling.

Alejandro felt some remorse when he went in search for Diego and Victoria. He had believed they would work out their differences once they were married. The friendship they had shared, until that quarrel a few months ago, should be a good basis for their marriage, but now it seemed that he was wrong after the display of tears from Victoria. Had he forced his son and daughter-in-law into an unhappy marriage by insisting on the wedding? Victoria had probably been waiting for Zorro to appear and had nearly fainted when she realized that he wouldn't come, only then had she agreed to marry Diego.

He was baffled when he saw the couple kissing in the garden. From the passionate way they held to each other, he could almost believe the rumors that led to this forced wedding although he trusted his son's word. He wished he knew what was going on and why they appeared so distant to each other again after they returned with him to the party.

Victoria learned to understand Diego's recent behavior towards her a little better at the wedding party. Having to behave in public when all she wanted was to melt in his arms seemed to be difficult to say the least. It was easier not to touch him or be close to him at all and she waited impatiently for the guests to leave. The idea of spending the night questioned by Alejandro seemed pure torture and she agreed with his decision to delay the revelation until the next day.

Diego finally couldn't stand it anymore knowing that sergeant Mendoza would probably last all night on the food and the wine joined by several others who enjoyed listening to his heroic adventures in his attempts to capture Zorro. While all attention was on Mendoza, he quietly motioned to his wife, took her up on his arms and carried her to the room that was to be their bridal suite.

Bed and floor were covered all over with roses and while the proposal had been far from romantic, there was no doubt he had done his best to make up for it.

"No more waiting, now you are mine," he whispered lowering her on the bed.

"We have waited far too long," she replied and by the way she clung to him she made her intentions clear. "I never expected I would be so happy tonight."


	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue

The next day, just before they left for their honeymoon, Diego set his father's worries about his marriage at rest. No, they wouldn't be terrible unhappy with each other and Victoria had not waited for Zorro at the ceremony, because he had been standing right beside her. It had only taken her some moments to overcome the shock when she realized that Diego was Zorro.

But all other explanations would have to wait after their return or he had to question Felipe who needed no longer pretend to be deaf, now that the secret was out. Felipe, of course, made a face when Diego left with his wife while he got a bombardment of questions about Zorro and his regained hearing from his adopted grandfather.

After Victoria married Don Diego, Zorro never made an appearance again. The citizens who were well aware of the alcalde's involvement in the forced wedding blamed him for the absence of their esteemed hero. In a joint effort they forced him to abandon his post as alcalde and seek his fortune elsewhere.

De Soto reported to Madrid that he had successfully achieved his goal of ridding the pueblo of the famous outlaw and was quite willing to return to Spain.

But how could he know that a married Zorro was too occupied or too exhausted to roam the countryside any longer at night and rather took care of the next de la Vega generation than any bandits while he had his love safe in his arms.


End file.
